Ascent: Day 7

Word Count: 42,009

Summary of Events:

Ilyé watched through the pool as Master Lyarí made his rounds and encountered a young magician who thought he'd been promised the title of Lemyazhmok, and was furious that he wasn't. Ilyé then did some training before he and Master Lyarí sat down to dinner and Ilyé was told the difference between elixir magic and real magic . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

""Well, it's rather complicated," Master Lyarí replied. "But there are two kinds of magic, the real magic, which is the most powerful magic, and there is the elixir magic, which is based on a lot of complex timings, lengthy chants, and insufferable details."

Ilyé furrowed his brow, it still didn't make any sense.

"Elixirs are created by collecting different parts of plants and animals, and even some things from ourselves, mainly the first milk of a first-time mother, and the afterbirths as well, and the closer these things are collected to a full moon, the better," Master Lyarí continued. "And if they're close to particular full moons: the midsummer moon, the midwinter moon, or the first moon of spring or autumn, they're even more powerful — or so it's said, although I don't believe it's necessarily true."

"But they seem all sorts of strange colours," Ilyé said.

"That comes from combining different things," Master Lyarí replied.

"Oh," Ilyé said.

"Different elixirs have powers over different things, and if you combine different materials you get different powers and whatnot," Master Lyarí said. "Overall it's honestly rather confusing even for me. And then the different spells to be cast require different application methods and one has to be insufferably specific otherwise the spells fail."

It sounded that way, from what Ilyé was hearing.

"Additionally it is exceedingly difficult to carry out the spells, there is little control, and different weather conditions can determine the failure or success of certain spells," Master Lyarí said.

The memory of the explosion came back to Ilyé's mind all too quickly.

"And the worst part is that the power does not come from yourself," Master Lyarí said. "You are utterly dependent upon on the elixirs and the weather, your power is severely limited by many things, and poor training can ruin you — as you should know well from experiencing your father and brother."

Ilyé nodded.

"Real magic, on the other hand, comes from you," Master Lyarí said. "There is no wand, no elixirs, no chants, no weather limits, it comes from within you, and you can do anything with it. Not that it doesn't have its own conditions."

"Like what?" Ilyé asked.

"Nothing you'll ever have to worry about, I can assure you," Master Lyarí said. "However, some people — like your father — have violated the conditions and thus have lost their ability to perform real magic. Those sorts of people are typically the only people who work elixir magic anyways, although some of them will train their children in the arts of elixir magic — or will try to and fail horribly."

Ilyé shifted his jaw. "They can lose their ability to do it?"

"Yes," Master Lyarí replied. "But if people follow the conditions they will become incredibly powerful magicians, although none more powerful than the Lemyazhmok.""